Schools gear up for Nestlé Wellness Fiesta

About 30 schools will converge on the Chinese Benevolent Association on May 21 for the Nestlé Schools Wellness Fiesta to be staged in association with The Gleaner. In its continued drive to encourage Jamaicans to live healthy, fulfilling lifestyles, Nestlé, during Child's Month, will use the fiesta to educate school-aged children about the importance of nutrition, health and wellness in their everyday lives.

Speaking at Tuesday's launch at The Gleaner Company, Vanessa White, registered nutritionist, invited her largely young audience to Take a High Five for Life by eating healthy, controlling portions, being active, checking their health and being happy.

White pointed to some startling facts about how young people are eating, including the fact that 82.3 per cent of them eat below the optimal vegetable consumption and more than 91 per cent of the youth population have frequent to excessive consumption of sweetened beverages.

She cited pre-hypertension, hypertension, diabetes, overweight and obesity as problems that are now affecting children and showed that emotional and mental health issues are also hindrances to a healthy lifestyle. Feeling hopeless, down and depressed, guilty and worthless and changes in sleep patterns are among these negative issues affecting the youth population.

"Close to 31 per cent of the youth population experience changes in their sleep patterns, 6.2 per cent have considered suicide and 35. 3 per cent have little interest or pleasure in activities," White quoted from her facts. (Jamaica Youth Risk and Resiliency Behaviour Survey 2006:m Wilis, Younger,McFarlane, Francis Van den Broeck)

Among the goals for healthy living, White listed eating wisely, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption, paying attention to chronic disease conditions, being physically active, being positive and maintaining good relationships.

The Nestlé Schools Wellness Fiesta is being staged under the theme 'Conditions Relating to Poor Nutrition: How can they be Prevented'. It is open to members of schools wellness clubs in primary and secondary schools. It will have two components: (i) a competition among the schools and (ii) a colourful display of the Nestlé Take a High Five for Life Campaign that will showcase the five steps to healthy living.

Being healthy is serious business but through the campaign and at the fiesta, Nestlé will show that it can also be fun. Presentations by the schools will be judged for scope of research, accuracy and creativity. In the meantime, continue to enjoy the following products that fall under the Nestle banner: Supligen, Milo, Juicy Juice and Low Fat Milk.